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Letters Patent No. 75,091, dated M'arch 3, 1868.

IMPROVEMENTIN sATennT-Bnncn.

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TOAALL WHoM ITMAY CONCERN: l t

Be it known that I, T. A. WESTON, of the city of Buffalo, in the eountyof Erie, and State of New York, have vinvented a new and improvedRight and Left-Hand Ratchet-Brace; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a -full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making pari; of this specification, in which- I Figure 1 is a vertical section ofmy, improvement.

Figure 2 is an elevation.

4Figure 3 is a plan of the inner end of the upper crown ratchet-head.'

Figure 4, aplan of the upper end of the pawl-barrel.'

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures. Y

' This invention consists in the constructionand arrangement of the parts of my improved instrument, by

which it maybe uscd as a right or a. left-hand brace, 'as required.

I construct my improved ratchet-brace as follows: A is a pawl-barrel, or short cylinder having a series of pawls, b b, sliding in anaxial direction, and eqidistant from each other, working outward from one end of the .said pawl-barrel, and a'. similar series of pawls, b b', working outward from its other end. In connection with thesetwo setsof pawls-are two crown ratchet-headsorwheels, D E, having respectively right and left-hand teeth, c'c, c c. The head Il has a nozzle or tool-socket, e, on the outside, and on its inside, projecting from the to'othedface, a. central shank or spindle, f, passing upward through a centra-l hole orbearing bored for it in the pawl-barrel, on which the latter turns. The head D has, outside, a shank, g, to enter or engage with the bit-socketof a carpenters brace, or with n. handle, as shown in red lines, iig. 2, and it has a. hole, t, bored 'centrally in its inner face, to receive the spindlejI of the other ratchet-head, which is secured therein by a washer and pin, h, iig. 1. The pawlsl Z1 have small springs, z', at their rear, forcing them outward against their respective ratehet-teeth. I-is adog or sliding bolt, provided with a slot, m, and thumb-screw, n, or equivalent, by which either ratchet-head is -locked firmly to the pawl-harrel, according as the dog is slid in one or the Vother of the grooves s s, leaving the other ratchet-head free from action with its corresponding series of pawls.

'Eachratchet-hend hns one tooth more nnumber than the number ofthe engaginglpawls. In the' drawings are shown four teeth, c c', in euch ratchet-head, and three pawls touct thereon, giving twelve stopsor engage- Yof pawls'acting thereupon. p

I Having placed a drill, bit or other tool in the nozzles, a. right-hand motion is giventhereto by locking the ratchethead E to the pnWl-harrel, leaving the head D and its series of pawls to turn free, the operator giving, by his hand, the usualintermittentgaiid partially' rotary mot-ion applied to all ratchet-braces. A left-hand rotary action is given -t'o the apparatus bysimply changing the position of the locking-device from E to D.

The advantages of this construction ef braces are as follows: First.l The two ratchet-heads, withv the intermediate patri-barrel and the shifting lock, insure both a right .and left motion at pleasure, by simply sliding the lock up or down, and the form of the ratchet is such as produces the most eii'ectiveuse, being far preferable to any device in which the right and left motion is alternated by throwing a pawl outand another in gear. It will be noticed that the pawlsb b are always free in their action,

whichever way the ratchet turns. Indeed, this is necessary to gear theparts together.

Second. This arrangement is such aste embody the differential principle ofthe pawls and teeth to be substitutedwhere a. large number of fine teeth are used, by which the disadvantages of fine teeth (viz, great wear and'want of strength) are ob-viated. v

Third. The construction is simple, and the form such that the device may be applied and worked by a.

'vibrntory or partial rotarymotion where there is insuicient space for un entire revolution'. 4 i

Fourth. It `forms a convenient tool for the hand. y v What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. .The combinationof two ratchet-heads D E, an intermediate pawl-barrel, A, and the locking-device, which may shift from one head to the other to engage and disengage the .said heads, substantially as s et forth.

e v 2. The combination of the shifting slide I and tightening-screw or equivalent, with the ratchet-heads D E, and pawl-barrel A, substantially` as herein set fortln` v In witness whereof, I have hereunto lsigned-my name inv-the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

T. 'A'. WESTON..

' Witnesses:

J AY HYATLA ALBERT HAIGHT.

'ments in a. revolution. Other numbers. may be used: thus, four pawls and ive teeth, giving twenty-stops, duc., in each case keeping a. di'crence of one between lthe respective numbers of the ratchet-teetlrand of the series'v 

